2 HOSTAGES ONCE THOUGHT TO BE ALIVE ARE MISSING FROM NEW LIST RELEASED BY HAMAS. (PHOTO).

 

  2 hostages once thought to be alive are missing from new list released by Hamas 

Two hostages whose statuses remained uncertain, Bipin Joshi and Tamir Nimrodi, were not included on the list of 20 living captives Hamas said it plans to release as part of Monday’s exchange with Israel. Neither Hamas nor Israeli authorities have made public statements confirming whether the two men are alive or deceased. Their omission adds to the growing anguish surrounding the remaining hostages, nearly two years after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that killed about 1,200 people in Israel and saw 251 others kidnapped. Since then, most hostages have been freed through a series of negotiated exchanges, but dozens remain unaccounted for.

Of the 48 hostages confirmed to still be in Gaza at the time of the most recent ceasefire agreement, Israeli officials have verified that 26 are dead and 20 are believed to be alive, leaving two — Joshi and Nimrodi — with unknown fates. Joshi, a 22-year-old agriculture student from Nepal, was studying in Israel when he was abducted from Kibbutz Alumim. His family recently released video footage believed to show him in captivity, recovered by the Israel Defense Forces and later cleared for publication. In a statement, his relatives said sharing the footage was painful but necessary to raise awareness about the plight of the remaining captives. Nimrodi, 18, was serving with the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories when he was seized from a base near the Erez Crossing. His mother described her son as kind and devoted, expressing hope that she will one day reunite with him, though her heart remains heavy with uncertainty.